§ 38. Transportation Alternatives Grant Program
(a), (b) [Repealed.]
(c) The Transportation Alternatives Grant Program is created. The Grant Program shall
be administered by the Agency and shall be funded in the amount provided for in 23 U.S.C. § 133(h), less the funds set aside for the Recreational Trails Program. Awards shall be made
to eligible entities as defined under 23 U.S.C. § 133(h), and awards under the Grant Program shall be limited to the activities authorized
under federal law and shall not exceed $300,000.00 per grant allocation.
(d) Eligible entities awarded a grant must provide all funds required to match federal
funds awarded for a Transportation Alternatives project. All grant awards shall be
decided and awarded by the Agency.
(e) Transportation Alternatives grant awards shall be announced annually by the Agency
not earlier than December and not later than the following March.
(f)(1) In fiscal year 2024 and thereafter, 50 percent of Grant Program funds, or such lesser
sum if all eligible applications amount to less than 50 percent of Grant Program funds,
shall be reserved for municipalities for environmental mitigation projects relating
to stormwater and highways, including eligible salt and sand shed projects, and the
balance of Grant Program funds shall be awarded for any eligible activity and in accordance
with the priorities established in subdivision (2) of this subsection.
(2) In evaluating applications for Transportation Alternatives grants, the Agency shall
give preferential weighting to projects involving as a primary feature a bicycle or
pedestrian facility. The degree of preferential weighting and the circumstantial factors
sufficient to overcome the weighting shall be in the complete discretion of the Agency.
(g) The Agency shall develop an outreach and marketing effort designed to provide information
to communities with respect to the benefits of participating in the Transportation
Alternatives Grant Program. The outreach and marketing activities shall include apprising
municipalities of the availability of grants for salt and sand sheds. The outreach
effort should be directed to areas of the State historically underserved by this Program. (Added 2003, No. 56, § 74, eff. June 4, 2003; amended 2003, No. 160 (Adj. Sess.), § 29, eff. June 9, 2004; 2005, No. 175 (Adj. Sess.), § 63; 2013, No. 12, § 12; 2015, No. 40, § 20; 2017, No. 38, § 7; 2019, No. 59, § 43; 2021, No. 184 (Adj. Sess.), § 20, eff. July 1, 2022.)